Midnight Waltz
* * *
Part 1: Marduk is bored out of his skull!
* * *
Hi. After sending "Masquerade" (again) to you all, I continued in this story. I was having a bit of a writer's block until I recently saw "Jekyll and Hyde". I realized the story reminded me of Ken's own struggle, and things fell into place (However, I can't get the image of Daisuke dressed like a hooker singing "Bring on the Men" out of my head). So, without further ado, here is "Midnight Waltz", the sequel to "Masquerade".
Rating: PG-13 for yaoi, yuri, and a lime scene.
* * *
(A woman reminiscent of a Greek goddess, and a large, red dragon, stand before you)
"Hello," the woman says, bowing. "We are Firedrake and Verba, the physical manifestation of Marduk's inspiration. Before we begin this story, we've got a few notes. First of all, to those big, important people at Toei and Bandai, this story is not written for profit, nor does Marduk claim to own these characters, Digimon, or anything other than the plot he uses. Please don't sue him!" (The dragon nudges her aside)
"Also, this story contains yaoi, which means two of the male characters, well, more of them, are romantically involved. I understand that there are some of you out there who don't like that specifically. There are also yaoi fans who don't like the ideas of Kensuke and Takori. If you are one of these people, don't read this! If you do read it, and try flaming, know that I can dish out anything you try heaping up." (For emphasis, he snorts out a tendril of smoke, and then slithers off)
"Enjoy!" Verba says, bowing.
* * *
~I don't care too much for money;
Money can't buy me love!~
-The Beatles
"Hi, Dai-kun, would you like to come with Hikari, Miyako, and I to see a play?" Daisuke, carefully sketching a picture, thoughtfully tapping his foot.
"I bet you only invited Hikari and Miyako so I wouldn't think it was a date," Daisuke replied, making another few lines on his sketch.
"So? I think you'd like to go. It's an American play-it's called 'Jekyll and Hyde'. It's-"
"Don't bother, Ken. I don't really care what it's about; I'll go. After all, if it's bad, I can always just talk to you." Ken smiled.
"Sure; I'll pick you up at 7:30, and we'll meet the girls at the theater."
"All right, but don't try anything funny in the car," Daisuke retorted. "Just 'cause I'm going to a play with you does NOT mean that I'm going to jump in the sack with you or anything."
"Okay, okay, you don't need to remind me," Ken grumbled.
"So I'll see you at 7:30." Daisuke made a few finishing touches on the sketch, and set it aside for later painting.
"Okay."
* * *
"I bet Daisuke'll have lost his virginity by morning," Iori said, smiling quietly.
"No way!" Hikari protested. "I still think they'll still be apart."
"Frankly, I think Daisuke will at least ask Ken out, but I doubt it'll end in anything," Iori said simply.
"And I think I'll stay out of this," Takeru answered, wrapping his arm around his lover's shoulders. "I'll just sit back and watch. I mean, it's appalling that you are taking a monetary interest in the romantic issues of your friends!"
"Iori's been raiding your wallet again?" Miyako asked smugly. Takeru's face reddened, and he glared at her before turning to Iori.
"Yes...and by the way, you better be using that money to buy me somthing!"
"Why?" Iori asked innocently. "You never get *me* anything."
"That's because I've never got any money!"
* * *
The theater, a huge building covered with elaborate carvings, was simple yet vast on the inside. Plush red seats filled the floor, and the stage stood shrouded in a violet curtain. In the fifth row sat a quartet of people talking quietly.
"Daisuke, don't tell me you know nothing about the story of Jekyll and Hyde!" Miyako exclaimed. Hikari hit her lightly.
"Miyako, he's not much of a reader, and you can't blame him for not paying attention to European literature!" she snapped.
"How can you yell at someone so cute?" Ken asked. "I mean, he may not be 'smart', in the strictest sense of the term, but he's talented, cute, imaginative,"
"A virgin," Hikari broke in.
"Hika-kun!"
"What?" she asked innocently. "I'm just listing your many virtuous qualities. You're...saving yourself. I think it's cute." Before Daisuke had time to respond, the curtain drew up, and the dark halls of St. Jude's Hospital became visible.
* * *
"That's the feeling of being Edward Hyde!" The curtain fell, and the intermission began.
"I have to go to the bathroom," Miyako said quickly, and stood up.
"So will I," Hikari added, and followed the purple-haired girl. Daisuke threw her a pleading look, but she left him alone with the indigo-haired man.
"So, do you like it, Dai-kun?" he asked of the brunette. Daisuke looked at him nervously, his mouth twitching in a smile.
"It's an amazing presentation; I can see why you wanted me to come here," Daisuke said quietly. "But Dr. Jekyll reminds me a lot of you."
"Yeah, and Lucy reminds me of you," Ken retorted, grinning.
"Ken!" Suddenly, the theater grew black, and the minimal ligting flashed on. "Where's Miyako and Hikari? They're going to miss the second act!"
* * *
"Mmmph...you could have just told me how you felt," Hikari mumbled, rubbing her hands down Miyako's back.
"Yeah, but, I really didn't know how to tell you-oh!" They continued to make out in the bathroom stall, and as the second act began, several vital pieces of clothing were lost, and the activities progressed beyond simple kisses.
* * *
The lights slowly came on, and Daisuke sat, staring at the stage.
"Wow. Just...wow," he mumbled softly.
"I guess you liked it," Ken stated. Daisuke nodded.
"That was simply amazing." Daisuke stood up, and pulled Ken up after him. "How about we go now?"
"But Miyako and Hi-"
"They'll leave when they're ready. They came in Hikari's car; they can drive home," he resoponded.
"All right," Ken answered. "Let's go."
* * *
"What do you see?" Takeru demanded.
"Daisuke's laughing, and Ken looks happy. I think the evening went well," Yamato said, still looking through the binoculars.
"Shall we follow them home?" Taichi asked, his hands resting on the wheel of the car.
"I'm disgusted with you three. You're spying on people who trust you implicitly," Iori complained. "And besides, if anything important happens, we can figure it our tomorrow. Furthermore-" His words were cut off when Takeru leaned over to his seat and captured his lips.
"Good job, Take-kun. I always knew you were good for something," Taichi commented absently. When there was no response, he turned to face them. The two were locked together, Takeru's hands creeping down from the shoulders to...more sensitive areas. "Wow, Iori, never knew you were such an exhibitionist." The moment was lost, and Iori pulled away, his face a vibrant red. Takeru sat back smugly in his seat, his hand drifting to rest on Iori's thigh.
"Anyway, we should all call it a night. It's late, and I have an early day tomorrow-"
"And you won't get anything done if you and Takeru have been pursuing your own interests all night?" Yamato asked through the binoculars. "Cool down, Iori, you're only an intern, which means you can have a day off now and then."
"He does have a point," Taichi responded from the wheel. "After all, you and *I* can't pursue *our* interests here, at least until we ditch your brother and his boyfriend."
"Wait a minute!" Iori demanded. "You've-"
"In this car?" Takeru asked frantically. A sly nod from the elder men. "I want to go home now, and never touch this car again. I cannot believe you've-yuck!"
"Acutally," Taichi replied, "We've only ever done anything in Iori's seat."
"That really has crossed the boundary to things we didn't need to know," Iori muttered.
* * *
"You really do remind me of Dr. Jekyll, Ken. He was trying to do the right thing, but got taken over by his dark side. It reminds me of how delicate the balance between good and evil in man is." Ken was driving his car, a modest contraption he kept in good shape, and Daisuke was chattering to him in the passenger's seat.
"I never knew you got so philosophical, Dai-chan," Ken added. "You never seemed the type."
"Well, I'm just full of surprises, Ken. Take a right here."
"Hai, I know the way. I got you here, didn't I?" The ride continued in a comfortable silence, and when Ken reached Daisuke's apartment, he stopped the car. "There we go. Maybe we can do this again sometime, although without the disappearing chaperones." Daisuke smiled in spite of himself.
"Ken...would you like to come up for a cup of coffee or something?" he asked nervously. "I mean, I understand if you have work or something, but I thought that maybe-"
"Sure, Dai-chan."
* * *
*Private Chat*
-Holylight25 has signed on-
-Hopeful_Angel has signed on-
Hopeful_Angel: So, how was the play?
Holylight25: The first act was pretty good...
Hopeful_Angel: And what? You were in the bathroom during the entire second act?
Holylight25: Um...yeah...
Hopeful_Angel: You're not telling me something. What's going on?
Holylight25: I'm not single anymore.
Hopeful_Angel: And you met this person in the bathroom? Wait a minute...
Holylight25: Not so much met as...well, things got interesting in there.
Hopeful_Angel: Well, that'll be an interesting story. 'The first time I met your father, we made out in a bathroom stall during the second act of "Jekyll and Hyde".'
Holylight25: Why do you assume it was a guy?
Hopeful_Angel: Because the only woman I could imagine you with is-ohhhh.
Holylight25: fjhgfheu47dnqqpw*
Holylight25: And Miya and I didn't just make out. I'm sorry; I have to go now. She's getting a little-enthusiastic.
Hopeful_Angel: Ew.
* * *
"The place is a mess, really, but I call it home. Be careful; I left a couple of half-finished paintings laying around." Daisuke fumbled with the lock and swung the door open. Framed in the moonlight, standing directly in front of the door, was the easel on which he had placed his first work, "Birth of Evil". Ken, in shock, approached the painting cautiously. Daisuke could only watch as he examined the details, running his hand over the paint.
"How did you know what happened?" Ken asked softly. "I...No one ever knew about the Dark Ocean, not really." Daisuke shifted nervously.
"I-I think I'm a little psychic, like Jun, and I just sort of...got the picture." Ken turned the painting around, so the image was not visible, and walked as if a trance into the next room, where a small table sat.
"Daisuke, what I'm about to tell you, no one has ever heard. I didn't tell my parents the whole story, not Wormmon, not Miyako. I...when I was much younger, I had a brother. His name was Osamu, and he was a genius. He was the best at everything he tried, and although I loved him...sometimes I hated him. He got all the attention; everyone loved him. No one cared about Ken, about me." He sighed, and began rubbing his hands together. "I got a Digivice, when I was 8, but Osamu thought it wasn't safe, pretended it was his...I wished for the first time that day that he would go away forever. I don't know if I caused it, but he was hit by a car...he died instantly. My parents may have suspected my intents, my wishes, because they began to push me. But even if I didn't feel guilty, I would have taken his place. I became the genius, the famous boy...and when I used the Digivice, I stumbled onto the Dark Ocean. It was then that my life's frustrations, my anger at Osamu, the world, my parents, all culminated in a single moment. It became the Dark Digivice, and my course was set. I was lost, and until Wormmon, and then you..." He trailed off, hopelessly.
"Oh, Ken-chan," Daisuke mumbled. "I-"
"It's not like it's your fault or anything; I just needed an ear to listen. And I wanted it to be someone I trust, someone who can understand how personal this is for me." Daisuke was silent for a few minutes, staring into Ken's violet eyes. And then, in a fateful moment, he leaned across the table and kissed Ken. It was gentle, soft, but holding a touch of need, want. Daisuke pulled away, bashful and blushing.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" he began. Ken stood up abruptly.
"Right; I'll go now. If you feel that I only deserve your pity-"
"Pity? Pity! Ken, I don't pity you; I understand a little bit of the pain you went through, I don't want you to feel it anymore...Ken, I'd be happy to call you my boyfriend, if it would make you happy. I do love you, Ken-chan, and so...I'd like to take you up on your offer."
* * *
"Ken-san, nice to see you this morning; here's the paper and your messages," Leah muttered, handing the stack of papers to her boss.
"Thank you, dear," he said cheerfully, walking lightly into his office and closing the door. Suddenly, Leah bolted upwards and slammed the door open.
"Those are the same clothes you wore yesterday!" she snapped accusingly. Ken looked down at his rumpled gray suit and smiled, embarrassed.
"Well, yeah, they are..." he began.
"Shall I assume the night at the theater went well?" Leah asked coyly. Ken blushed.
"Um, it went well; I planned to drop Dai-chan off, and he invited me up for coffee, and..."
"You came into work in wrinkled clothes."
"We...did...not-" Ken said through gritted teeth. But then his face brightened. "I am, however, no longer single. We spent the whole morning talking, and secrets were shared, emotions were revealed, and we agreed on a date this Friday. Now, I have sleep to catch up on, and you have work to do. Good day, Miss Goldfarbe." He then shoved the light-skinned woman from his office.
* * *
"What are you working on, Daisuke?" Hikari peered in through the messy apartment. A shock of red-brown hair was visible in the kitchen, and Hikari stepped forward to see what was occurring. He was just starting to add paint to a medium-sized canvas, containing a sketch of three figures: two men holding hands tightly, one with eyes burning fiercely, and the other with kind eyes, and the other man smiling viciously, half-merging with the kind one- "Daisuke, what in the world is that a painting of?" He turned to face her.
"Well, after the play last night, I got to thinking about how much Ken and the Kaiser were silimar to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and that led to other thinking, and after Ken left for work, I just started on this," he explained.
"Wait-back up; Ken stayed over here last night?" Hikari's face was confused. Suddenly, she smiled coyly. "Wow, Daisuke, I had no idea you were so fast."
"It's not like that!" he protested. "We just talked, and lost track of time, and...well, we've got a date on Friday. That's all." He followed his statement with a few careful brushstrokes.
"Well, that's all well and good, Dai-chan, but I've got good news, too. I met someone." Daisuke continued painting absently.
"Really? Did that have anything to do with you and Miyako disappearing during the second act?" Hikari blushed.
"Yeah...in fact, it had everything to do with it. A few things happened in the bathroom, and things escalated, and well..." She broke off, her face in danger to rival Daisuke's hair.
"You didn't!"
"We did. And frankly, it was a very cultural place to do it." She flashed him a smile, and stepped forward, staring at the painting. Suddenly, she glanced down at a sketch that had been abandoned on the floor. "Is this Miya-chan and I?" Daisuke nodded.
"I wanted to see if I could actually draw, or if it was some weird, psychic thing, and I remembered how the two of you acted when you saw "Birth of Evil", and I sketched it." He glanced at it, and smiled. "You know, in hindsight, it's very obvious she was attracted to you. I'm surprised little Miss Freakily Knowing Stuff didn't realize that." He was rewarded for his comment with a slap on the head.
* * *
"You look beautiful," Ken breathed. Daisuke, although not dressed in anything spectacular (a pair of khakis and a red, button-down, short-sleeved shirt), but was a picture of lovlieness in Ken's mind. "Shall we go? The resevations are at 8." Daisuke smiled, shut his apartment door behind him, and kissed Ken on the cheek.
"Sure, and may I tell you that you are absolutely stunning?**" Ken, dressed in black dress pants and a dark green, long-sleeved, button-down shirt, held out his arm, waited until Daisuke took it, and led him down to the car. From the third-story window, the bespectacled landlady, a Mrs. Jinushi Kanna, watched them.
"Young love; how beautiful it is." She carefully closed her cutains, and went to finish reading the novel she'd started a month ago. And Ken and Daisuke set off on their first date.
* * *
That is the end of Midnight Waltz. As I've said before, this is only a small part of what will be an epic. It comes to mean I will not necessarily work at it constantly, for I have other, smaller projects I plan as well. And, as for the fact that I left out their date, a Mr. S. Morgenstern once said that all of us, at some time in our lives, deserve a little privacy, and so I leave the events of that date to your imagination (not entirely; Daisuke is still a virgin afterward. I'm not going for PWP's here; I'm trying for plot). So, there we go, I hope you enjoyed.
*When haven't you been talking online when someone distracts you, causing this to happen? Well, I'm trying to indicate that Hikari is being 'distracted' very effectively here.
**These elder Digidestined do NOT, in my head, look like the 'canon' ones. Think older, hotter, and with considerably more common sense (That's why this is an AU; I can ignore canon, as I so obviously have done).
* * *
Part 1: Marduk is bored out of his skull!
* * *
Hi. After sending "Masquerade" (again) to you all, I continued in this story. I was having a bit of a writer's block until I recently saw "Jekyll and Hyde". I realized the story reminded me of Ken's own struggle, and things fell into place (However, I can't get the image of Daisuke dressed like a hooker singing "Bring on the Men" out of my head). So, without further ado, here is "Midnight Waltz", the sequel to "Masquerade".
Rating: PG-13 for yaoi, yuri, and a lime scene.
* * *
(A woman reminiscent of a Greek goddess, and a large, red dragon, stand before you)
"Hello," the woman says, bowing. "We are Firedrake and Verba, the physical manifestation of Marduk's inspiration. Before we begin this story, we've got a few notes. First of all, to those big, important people at Toei and Bandai, this story is not written for profit, nor does Marduk claim to own these characters, Digimon, or anything other than the plot he uses. Please don't sue him!" (The dragon nudges her aside)
"Also, this story contains yaoi, which means two of the male characters, well, more of them, are romantically involved. I understand that there are some of you out there who don't like that specifically. There are also yaoi fans who don't like the ideas of Kensuke and Takori. If you are one of these people, don't read this! If you do read it, and try flaming, know that I can dish out anything you try heaping up." (For emphasis, he snorts out a tendril of smoke, and then slithers off)
"Enjoy!" Verba says, bowing.
* * *
~I don't care too much for money;
Money can't buy me love!~
-The Beatles
"Hi, Dai-kun, would you like to come with Hikari, Miyako, and I to see a play?" Daisuke, carefully sketching a picture, thoughtfully tapping his foot.
"I bet you only invited Hikari and Miyako so I wouldn't think it was a date," Daisuke replied, making another few lines on his sketch.
"So? I think you'd like to go. It's an American play-it's called 'Jekyll and Hyde'. It's-"
"Don't bother, Ken. I don't really care what it's about; I'll go. After all, if it's bad, I can always just talk to you." Ken smiled.
"Sure; I'll pick you up at 7:30, and we'll meet the girls at the theater."
"All right, but don't try anything funny in the car," Daisuke retorted. "Just 'cause I'm going to a play with you does NOT mean that I'm going to jump in the sack with you or anything."
"Okay, okay, you don't need to remind me," Ken grumbled.
"So I'll see you at 7:30." Daisuke made a few finishing touches on the sketch, and set it aside for later painting.
"Okay."
* * *
"I bet Daisuke'll have lost his virginity by morning," Iori said, smiling quietly.
"No way!" Hikari protested. "I still think they'll still be apart."
"Frankly, I think Daisuke will at least ask Ken out, but I doubt it'll end in anything," Iori said simply.
"And I think I'll stay out of this," Takeru answered, wrapping his arm around his lover's shoulders. "I'll just sit back and watch. I mean, it's appalling that you are taking a monetary interest in the romantic issues of your friends!"
"Iori's been raiding your wallet again?" Miyako asked smugly. Takeru's face reddened, and he glared at her before turning to Iori.
"Yes...and by the way, you better be using that money to buy me somthing!"
"Why?" Iori asked innocently. "You never get *me* anything."
"That's because I've never got any money!"
* * *
The theater, a huge building covered with elaborate carvings, was simple yet vast on the inside. Plush red seats filled the floor, and the stage stood shrouded in a violet curtain. In the fifth row sat a quartet of people talking quietly.
"Daisuke, don't tell me you know nothing about the story of Jekyll and Hyde!" Miyako exclaimed. Hikari hit her lightly.
"Miyako, he's not much of a reader, and you can't blame him for not paying attention to European literature!" she snapped.
"How can you yell at someone so cute?" Ken asked. "I mean, he may not be 'smart', in the strictest sense of the term, but he's talented, cute, imaginative,"
"A virgin," Hikari broke in.
"Hika-kun!"
"What?" she asked innocently. "I'm just listing your many virtuous qualities. You're...saving yourself. I think it's cute." Before Daisuke had time to respond, the curtain drew up, and the dark halls of St. Jude's Hospital became visible.
* * *
"That's the feeling of being Edward Hyde!" The curtain fell, and the intermission began.
"I have to go to the bathroom," Miyako said quickly, and stood up.
"So will I," Hikari added, and followed the purple-haired girl. Daisuke threw her a pleading look, but she left him alone with the indigo-haired man.
"So, do you like it, Dai-kun?" he asked of the brunette. Daisuke looked at him nervously, his mouth twitching in a smile.
"It's an amazing presentation; I can see why you wanted me to come here," Daisuke said quietly. "But Dr. Jekyll reminds me a lot of you."
"Yeah, and Lucy reminds me of you," Ken retorted, grinning.
"Ken!" Suddenly, the theater grew black, and the minimal ligting flashed on. "Where's Miyako and Hikari? They're going to miss the second act!"
* * *
"Mmmph...you could have just told me how you felt," Hikari mumbled, rubbing her hands down Miyako's back.
"Yeah, but, I really didn't know how to tell you-oh!" They continued to make out in the bathroom stall, and as the second act began, several vital pieces of clothing were lost, and the activities progressed beyond simple kisses.
* * *
The lights slowly came on, and Daisuke sat, staring at the stage.
"Wow. Just...wow," he mumbled softly.
"I guess you liked it," Ken stated. Daisuke nodded.
"That was simply amazing." Daisuke stood up, and pulled Ken up after him. "How about we go now?"
"But Miyako and Hi-"
"They'll leave when they're ready. They came in Hikari's car; they can drive home," he resoponded.
"All right," Ken answered. "Let's go."
* * *
"What do you see?" Takeru demanded.
"Daisuke's laughing, and Ken looks happy. I think the evening went well," Yamato said, still looking through the binoculars.
"Shall we follow them home?" Taichi asked, his hands resting on the wheel of the car.
"I'm disgusted with you three. You're spying on people who trust you implicitly," Iori complained. "And besides, if anything important happens, we can figure it our tomorrow. Furthermore-" His words were cut off when Takeru leaned over to his seat and captured his lips.
"Good job, Take-kun. I always knew you were good for something," Taichi commented absently. When there was no response, he turned to face them. The two were locked together, Takeru's hands creeping down from the shoulders to...more sensitive areas. "Wow, Iori, never knew you were such an exhibitionist." The moment was lost, and Iori pulled away, his face a vibrant red. Takeru sat back smugly in his seat, his hand drifting to rest on Iori's thigh.
"Anyway, we should all call it a night. It's late, and I have an early day tomorrow-"
"And you won't get anything done if you and Takeru have been pursuing your own interests all night?" Yamato asked through the binoculars. "Cool down, Iori, you're only an intern, which means you can have a day off now and then."
"He does have a point," Taichi responded from the wheel. "After all, you and *I* can't pursue *our* interests here, at least until we ditch your brother and his boyfriend."
"Wait a minute!" Iori demanded. "You've-"
"In this car?" Takeru asked frantically. A sly nod from the elder men. "I want to go home now, and never touch this car again. I cannot believe you've-yuck!"
"Acutally," Taichi replied, "We've only ever done anything in Iori's seat."
"That really has crossed the boundary to things we didn't need to know," Iori muttered.
* * *
"You really do remind me of Dr. Jekyll, Ken. He was trying to do the right thing, but got taken over by his dark side. It reminds me of how delicate the balance between good and evil in man is." Ken was driving his car, a modest contraption he kept in good shape, and Daisuke was chattering to him in the passenger's seat.
"I never knew you got so philosophical, Dai-chan," Ken added. "You never seemed the type."
"Well, I'm just full of surprises, Ken. Take a right here."
"Hai, I know the way. I got you here, didn't I?" The ride continued in a comfortable silence, and when Ken reached Daisuke's apartment, he stopped the car. "There we go. Maybe we can do this again sometime, although without the disappearing chaperones." Daisuke smiled in spite of himself.
"Ken...would you like to come up for a cup of coffee or something?" he asked nervously. "I mean, I understand if you have work or something, but I thought that maybe-"
"Sure, Dai-chan."
* * *
*Private Chat*
-Holylight25 has signed on-
-Hopeful_Angel has signed on-
Hopeful_Angel: So, how was the play?
Holylight25: The first act was pretty good...
Hopeful_Angel: And what? You were in the bathroom during the entire second act?
Holylight25: Um...yeah...
Hopeful_Angel: You're not telling me something. What's going on?
Holylight25: I'm not single anymore.
Hopeful_Angel: And you met this person in the bathroom? Wait a minute...
Holylight25: Not so much met as...well, things got interesting in there.
Hopeful_Angel: Well, that'll be an interesting story. 'The first time I met your father, we made out in a bathroom stall during the second act of "Jekyll and Hyde".'
Holylight25: Why do you assume it was a guy?
Hopeful_Angel: Because the only woman I could imagine you with is-ohhhh.
Holylight25: fjhgfheu47dnqqpw*
Holylight25: And Miya and I didn't just make out. I'm sorry; I have to go now. She's getting a little-enthusiastic.
Hopeful_Angel: Ew.
* * *
"The place is a mess, really, but I call it home. Be careful; I left a couple of half-finished paintings laying around." Daisuke fumbled with the lock and swung the door open. Framed in the moonlight, standing directly in front of the door, was the easel on which he had placed his first work, "Birth of Evil". Ken, in shock, approached the painting cautiously. Daisuke could only watch as he examined the details, running his hand over the paint.
"How did you know what happened?" Ken asked softly. "I...No one ever knew about the Dark Ocean, not really." Daisuke shifted nervously.
"I-I think I'm a little psychic, like Jun, and I just sort of...got the picture." Ken turned the painting around, so the image was not visible, and walked as if a trance into the next room, where a small table sat.
"Daisuke, what I'm about to tell you, no one has ever heard. I didn't tell my parents the whole story, not Wormmon, not Miyako. I...when I was much younger, I had a brother. His name was Osamu, and he was a genius. He was the best at everything he tried, and although I loved him...sometimes I hated him. He got all the attention; everyone loved him. No one cared about Ken, about me." He sighed, and began rubbing his hands together. "I got a Digivice, when I was 8, but Osamu thought it wasn't safe, pretended it was his...I wished for the first time that day that he would go away forever. I don't know if I caused it, but he was hit by a car...he died instantly. My parents may have suspected my intents, my wishes, because they began to push me. But even if I didn't feel guilty, I would have taken his place. I became the genius, the famous boy...and when I used the Digivice, I stumbled onto the Dark Ocean. It was then that my life's frustrations, my anger at Osamu, the world, my parents, all culminated in a single moment. It became the Dark Digivice, and my course was set. I was lost, and until Wormmon, and then you..." He trailed off, hopelessly.
"Oh, Ken-chan," Daisuke mumbled. "I-"
"It's not like it's your fault or anything; I just needed an ear to listen. And I wanted it to be someone I trust, someone who can understand how personal this is for me." Daisuke was silent for a few minutes, staring into Ken's violet eyes. And then, in a fateful moment, he leaned across the table and kissed Ken. It was gentle, soft, but holding a touch of need, want. Daisuke pulled away, bashful and blushing.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" he began. Ken stood up abruptly.
"Right; I'll go now. If you feel that I only deserve your pity-"
"Pity? Pity! Ken, I don't pity you; I understand a little bit of the pain you went through, I don't want you to feel it anymore...Ken, I'd be happy to call you my boyfriend, if it would make you happy. I do love you, Ken-chan, and so...I'd like to take you up on your offer."
* * *
"Ken-san, nice to see you this morning; here's the paper and your messages," Leah muttered, handing the stack of papers to her boss.
"Thank you, dear," he said cheerfully, walking lightly into his office and closing the door. Suddenly, Leah bolted upwards and slammed the door open.
"Those are the same clothes you wore yesterday!" she snapped accusingly. Ken looked down at his rumpled gray suit and smiled, embarrassed.
"Well, yeah, they are..." he began.
"Shall I assume the night at the theater went well?" Leah asked coyly. Ken blushed.
"Um, it went well; I planned to drop Dai-chan off, and he invited me up for coffee, and..."
"You came into work in wrinkled clothes."
"We...did...not-" Ken said through gritted teeth. But then his face brightened. "I am, however, no longer single. We spent the whole morning talking, and secrets were shared, emotions were revealed, and we agreed on a date this Friday. Now, I have sleep to catch up on, and you have work to do. Good day, Miss Goldfarbe." He then shoved the light-skinned woman from his office.
* * *
"What are you working on, Daisuke?" Hikari peered in through the messy apartment. A shock of red-brown hair was visible in the kitchen, and Hikari stepped forward to see what was occurring. He was just starting to add paint to a medium-sized canvas, containing a sketch of three figures: two men holding hands tightly, one with eyes burning fiercely, and the other with kind eyes, and the other man smiling viciously, half-merging with the kind one- "Daisuke, what in the world is that a painting of?" He turned to face her.
"Well, after the play last night, I got to thinking about how much Ken and the Kaiser were silimar to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and that led to other thinking, and after Ken left for work, I just started on this," he explained.
"Wait-back up; Ken stayed over here last night?" Hikari's face was confused. Suddenly, she smiled coyly. "Wow, Daisuke, I had no idea you were so fast."
"It's not like that!" he protested. "We just talked, and lost track of time, and...well, we've got a date on Friday. That's all." He followed his statement with a few careful brushstrokes.
"Well, that's all well and good, Dai-chan, but I've got good news, too. I met someone." Daisuke continued painting absently.
"Really? Did that have anything to do with you and Miyako disappearing during the second act?" Hikari blushed.
"Yeah...in fact, it had everything to do with it. A few things happened in the bathroom, and things escalated, and well..." She broke off, her face in danger to rival Daisuke's hair.
"You didn't!"
"We did. And frankly, it was a very cultural place to do it." She flashed him a smile, and stepped forward, staring at the painting. Suddenly, she glanced down at a sketch that had been abandoned on the floor. "Is this Miya-chan and I?" Daisuke nodded.
"I wanted to see if I could actually draw, or if it was some weird, psychic thing, and I remembered how the two of you acted when you saw "Birth of Evil", and I sketched it." He glanced at it, and smiled. "You know, in hindsight, it's very obvious she was attracted to you. I'm surprised little Miss Freakily Knowing Stuff didn't realize that." He was rewarded for his comment with a slap on the head.
* * *
"You look beautiful," Ken breathed. Daisuke, although not dressed in anything spectacular (a pair of khakis and a red, button-down, short-sleeved shirt), but was a picture of lovlieness in Ken's mind. "Shall we go? The resevations are at 8." Daisuke smiled, shut his apartment door behind him, and kissed Ken on the cheek.
"Sure, and may I tell you that you are absolutely stunning?**" Ken, dressed in black dress pants and a dark green, long-sleeved, button-down shirt, held out his arm, waited until Daisuke took it, and led him down to the car. From the third-story window, the bespectacled landlady, a Mrs. Jinushi Kanna, watched them.
"Young love; how beautiful it is." She carefully closed her cutains, and went to finish reading the novel she'd started a month ago. And Ken and Daisuke set off on their first date.
* * *
That is the end of Midnight Waltz. As I've said before, this is only a small part of what will be an epic. It comes to mean I will not necessarily work at it constantly, for I have other, smaller projects I plan as well. And, as for the fact that I left out their date, a Mr. S. Morgenstern once said that all of us, at some time in our lives, deserve a little privacy, and so I leave the events of that date to your imagination (not entirely; Daisuke is still a virgin afterward. I'm not going for PWP's here; I'm trying for plot). So, there we go, I hope you enjoyed.
*When haven't you been talking online when someone distracts you, causing this to happen? Well, I'm trying to indicate that Hikari is being 'distracted' very effectively here.
**These elder Digidestined do NOT, in my head, look like the 'canon' ones. Think older, hotter, and with considerably more common sense (That's why this is an AU; I can ignore canon, as I so obviously have done).